Image: Yuriy Brykaylo
Fully booked: That’s nothing unusual on the Traunstein. Both at the foot of the mountain, where the number of parking spaces was strictly limited years ago. As well as on the two refuges where numerous hikers spend the night on the summer weekends to experience a sunrise and sunset.
This weekend the Gmundnerhütte and Traunsteinhaus are really fully booked. Because mountaineers stay there for free from Saturday to Sunday. Requirement: Arrival by public transport.
And when it slowly gets dark over the foothills of the Alps, it stays light on the Traunstein: Between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., both shelters and the summit cross are impressively illuminated. With this, the two hut hosts Roman Leithner (Traunsteinhaus) and Gerald Auinger (Gmundnerhütte) want to set an example for the climate together with the Alpine Club and nature lovers. And a fairly local one at that: Public transport in Traunsteinstraße is to be supplemented by a regular bus service.
The innkeepers argue that the situation in the traffic-plagued street would be significantly defused. Hikers would find an inexpensive and hassle-free option. The Gmunden city government is currently refraining from such an initiative because of “cost reasons”.
As reported, hikers must use the Arriving by car, since April 1, 2022, pay 25 euros for a 24-hour ticket at the turning point – starting point for numerous hikes and mountain tours.
The rest of the traffic-plagued street was (only) declared a free short-term parking zone (180 minutes) on weekends and public holidays, and a shuttle bus was installed that commutes from the Seebahnhof in Gmunden to the foot of the Traunstein.
Source: Nachrichten
